‘Build, Build, Build’ bill for creative industries filed in House

A BILL has been filed in the House of Representatives calling for long-term investment in the creative industries, which the measure’s author called resilient during downturns and “crisis-proof,” with the objective of making it account for a larger proportion of the economy.

Representative Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda of the second district of Albay said his House Bill No. 10613, or the proposed Build, Build, Build for Creative Industries Act, seeks to emulate South Korean investment in its creative industries after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis to diversify its economy, which had been dominated by manufacturing.

“Culture is resilient. It’s crisis-proof,” Mr. Salceda said.

He added that when a part of the cultural landscape, like tourism, enters a downturn, other components like art and digital content can emerge.

He said the European creative industry accounts for 4.4% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while South Korea’s was 2% of the economy, with more than half of its inbound tourism using creative industries as a draw. The bill envisions a 4-7% share of GDP for the Philippines’ own industry.

The Creative Economy Council of the Philippines estimates that the creative industry lost 90% of its revenue during the pandemic, which would make it one of the hardest-hit sectors of the economy.

Mr. Salceda noted that the Popular Culture Industry office of South Korea’s Ministry of Culture was dedicated to promoting pop music, fashion, mass entertainment, comic books, cartoons and other major products.

The bill proposes to create a National Creative Industries Investment Program to drive public support for the creative industry, as well as an audit of the creative industry infrastructure. He cited the restoration of the Metropolitan Theater (Met) in Manila as an example, and touted it as a venue for avant-garde productions. — Jaspearl Emerald G. Tan